Black Lives Matter

The move to legalize marijuana in Connecticut has a New Haven entrepreneur eyeing his next move: Marketing a homegrown marijuana-infused barbecue sauce. And becoming “the Heinz ketchup of the cannabis industry.”

Exotic masks and costumes seemed in short supply under the shimmering streamers of the annual New Haven Free Public Library (NHFPL) Mardi Gras fundraiser celebration this year — but not the celebratory fervor that kicked into high gear at the celebration’s temporary new location in Westville.

About halfway through Earthkry’s set, vocalist and guitarist Aldayne Haughton posed a question to the audience at Cafe Nine: “Do you want us to stop or keep playing?” The thunderous confirmation he received nearly shook the walls of the intimate room on this Fat Tuesday — a night typically known for outlandish behavior, but here, in this bar, simply for celebrating music and life.

At first glance, maybe it’s an island on a clear day, reflected in still water. But then you see that no water is that still. The line between the halves is a little too sharp. Then you see that the bottom half isn’t the same as the top half. They’re not halves at all. It’s a land mass floating in midair.